Massacre of Alexandria, 215

Caracalla visited Alexandria in 215 amid hostility generated by taxation, recruitment and public mockery of his claims about Geta’s death. Ancient accounts describe soldiers being unleashed against inhabitants after the emperor summoned young men under a deceptive pretext.

The scale and details are filtered through hostile literary sources, but the episode became one of the clearest examples of arbitrary violence associated with Caracalla’s sole rule. Alexandria’s dense streets and divided communities made imperial punishment especially destructive.

Emperor’s Axe carries Silus from Rome to Alexandria during the escalating crisis, linking a personal search to the wider terror produced by Caracalla’s court and army.